A Different Side
by Hallow Sisters On My Mind
Summary: Mildred goes to apoligise to Ethel about knocking her of her broomstick and mentions Esmerelda. This leads to Mildred seeing a side the young girl normally hides. WW 2017. Oneshot.


A/N: Idea based on Series Two, Episode One: Tortoise Trouble. What if Mildred had been the one to talk to Ethel in her room instead of Felicity?. I do not own the Worst Witch or the characters.

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 **A Different Side**

Ethel Hallow was currently in her bedroom at Cackle's unpacking everything out of her trunk. It was the first day of term and Ethel was now a second year.

The blonde was just hanging up her cloak as she didn't need it today when she heard a knock. Her door was already opened so her visitor strolled right in.

"Hi Ethel" a voice Ethel recognised as her annoying classmate Mildred Hubble said, the girl answered without turning around.

"Mildred Hubble, what do you want?" Ethel asked her enemy in a annoyed tone. She was already annoyed with the girl for knocking her of her broomstick earlier.

"I just wanted to apologise again for knocking you off your broomstick, I didn't mean to" Mildred replied nervously.

"Right, well bye then" Ethel told Mildred not willing to forgive her but she could sense the girl standing there and she turned around to her and saw the girl playing with her red belt nervously as if she was going to say something else.

"If you have something else to say can you say it please? I am busy" Ethel told the brunette really annoyed at her.

Mildred still did not say anything and Ethel turned around rolling her eyes just as Mildred started to speak.

"Everyone is talking about Esmerelda...I was...well is it true she has no powers?" Mildred asked Ethel quietly not wanting to anger her. Mildred though was quite shocked, she had gotten expelled at the end of last year and missed the fact Esmerelda had given her powers away so she was hearing it for the first time but knew it could be a rumour. Though she did see it as odd she had not seen the older girl yet.

Ethel had not expected that, she knew people would talk but she still did not expect Mildred to ask her that question.

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"I am not supposed to talk about it" Ethel replied simply keeping her back to the girl as she spoke.

"So it is true, because anywise why would you not be allowed to talk about it?" Mildred asked logically before she paused. "So is she not coming back?" Mildred asked not sure what happened when someone lost their powers.

"Not right now no" Ethel replied with a sigh.

"It must be weird, especially now Drusilla is gone to Pentangles" Mildred kept talking "I still can't believe Agatha tricked Esmerelda into giving up her powers, it is so strange to think that she is not a witch anymore" Mildred went on still talking about the older blonde not paying attention to Ethel and seeing the look on her face as she spoke.

"I mean she is such a good witch as well, it is not fair her of all people lost her magic because she would have gone far" Mildred kept babbling, a bad habit she had, she wasn't even really thinking about what she was saying. Ethel's face was dropping more with every word and she could feel tears prick at her eyes.

"Mildred" Ethel shouted suddenly causing the brunette to stop talking instantly "Would you shut up about my sister!" Ethel yelled at her looking at the floor and wiping her eyes on the sleeve of her school blouse.

Mildred felt bad then, she might not like Ethel but she didn't want the girl crying either. 'Me and my big mouth" Mildred said mentally slapping herself, she should have known this was sensitive right now.

"Ethel" Mildred said rushing over to the blonde as she heard her crying softly not knowing exactly whether she should leave or not, Ethel could curse her with a pretty nasty curse right now for what she said but as she got closer she realised the blonde was not going to do any such thing.

This was a side Ethel kept hidden, her vulnerable side. Mildred knew Ethel was a lot of things she did not like and sometimes she acted before thinking it through but Mildred just knew how guilty Ethel felt about her involvement in what happened to her sister, it was a guilt that the girl would always feel even if Esmie did get her powers back and also something that will always eat away at her.

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Mildred stood there for a moment watching the girl cry before slowly lifting her arm and putting it on Ethel's shoulder and then sliding her arm to put it around the girl knowing this could end really badly.

For a moment Ethel amazed Mildred. She accepted the one arm hugged and even leaned into it more, but then only after a few seconds the girl come to her senses and remembered who it was hugging her. Ethel shrugged away from the embrace wiping her eyes.

"Can you go please?" Ethel told Mildred wanting her to leave her to cry in peace, Ethel looked at Mildred for a split second and Mildred could have sworn she saw gratitude in her eyes.

Mildred nodded and walked to the girls bedroom door but glanced back as she walked out seeing the girl sitting on her bed, probably still crying. Mildred closed the girls door to give her some privacy to cry on her own if she wanted to. Mildred started to walk back to her room with a sigh, unable to believe she had just seen Ethel's vulnerable side.


End file.
